Virtual HLR Identifier for Data Group Isolation in Network Back End
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In a Data Layered Architecture network, when a Data Group becomes unavailable, existing solutions require recreating subscriber data for all subscribers, leading to significant data loss and increased signaling load, as traditional methods lack flexibility in assigning subscribers to different groups and do not efficiently isolate affected data groups.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtual Home Location Register (HLR) identifier assigned to data groups, allowing only affected subscribers' data to be recreated, reducing the need for network-wide resets and minimizing signaling impact by using a unique virtual HLR identifier for each data group.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional network architecture is used without data group partitioning, then network simplicity is maintained, but data loss and signaling load increase significantly when failures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the subscriber database into multiple data groups (DGs), where each DG contains subscriber data for a specific subset of subscribers. This segmentation allows the network to isolate failures to specific DGs rather than affecting all subscriber data, thereby reducing data loss and signaling load when failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces virtual HLR identifiers as intermediaries that map subscribers to specific data groups. This intermediary mechanism enables the network to identify and retrieve only the necessary DGs during subscriber location updates, preventing unnecessary data retrieval and reducing signaling load while maintaining network reliability.
2Device complexity
If traditional network architecture is used without data group partitioning, then system complexity is low, but signaling load increases during failure recovery
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the database into data groups and assigning virtual HLR identifiers to each DG, the system enables selective data retrieval. During normal operation, the network only signals for and retrieves the specific DGs needed for particular subscribers, rather than retrieving all subscriber data, thereby reducing signaling load while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each data group have specific characteristics (assigned virtual HLR identifiers and associated with specific subscribers). This allows different parts of the system to be optimized independently, reducing overall signaling load while maintaining simple local structures.
3Loss of information
If data groups are partitioned with virtual HLR identifiers, then data loss is reduced during failures, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual HLR identifier acts as an intermediary that simplifies the relationship between subscribers and data groups. Instead of complex direct mappings, the virtual HLR identifier provides a simple key that enables efficient identification and retrieval of relevant DGs, reducing information loss while keeping the structural complexity manageable through this abstraction layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for operating a data back end node in a data layered architecture network. A database of subscriber data is maintained at a database such that the data is organized into at least one data group. The data associated with each subscriber is associated with a data group. A virtual Home Location Register identifier is assigned to the data group. At least a part of the subscriber data and the virtual HLR identifier is sent to an HLR front end node. In the event of a reset by a Core Network node, only subscriber data associated with the identified data group will need to be rebuilt.